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FAQs Section

What do you mean by Medical Value Travel (MVT)?

With the arrival of globalization and consumerism, there is an increasing tendency among people to travel in search of better quality and affordable healthcare choices, and while India is already one of the leading destinations for patients seeking care abroad, there is fair room for growth. As India has shown in the past, through sustained leadership and actions, it emerged as ‘The Pharmacy to the World’ and is now aiming to become ‘The Provider to the World’ by giving quality care at affordable cost to everyone from all around the globe.

The marriage of medical care and tourism has already shown immense potential to have a profound effect not only on the patients seeking better treatment options but also on the people of the hosting nation by creating employment and encouraging cultural exchanges.

Medical Value Travel (MVT) is a term that encapsulates all the activities related to travel and hosting foreign tourists who spend at least one night in the destination country to get treatment.

How much time do the admission process and the entire procedure usually take?

In India, there is no waiting period or queuing up, either for diagnostic procedures or for treatment; so, after the initial diagnosis is done and the medical procedure decided upon, your surgery or intervention will be scheduled quickly. Thus we can safely say that the duration for the entire medical procedure or treatment will depend on the individuals and their procedures.

Do hospitals in India follow international standards?

Yes, most of the hospitals in India are designed to provide the gold standard medicare to their patients. Many of these hospitals employ some of the best medical equipment that is available worldwide. All the hospitals and healthcare providers in India are accredited to NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) and JCI (Joint Commission International (JCI)?). As NABH standards have been approved by the organization like ISQUA, NABH accreditation of India is equivalent to some of the world’s leading hospital accreditations.

Why should I opt for healthcare in India?

Globalization has made healthcare services and premiere technology much more accessible to many developing countries, allowing several of these countries to become soft-powers in several specific fields. In the case of India, things have been no different, and here are the seven major factors which make India an ideal medical tourism spot:

1)Best Doctors.
India considered best for Medical Tourism, and there is a reason for that belief. The country has some of the most highly qualified, trained and experienced doctors in the world, and with a cultural emphasis on education, most of these doctors have gone on to super-specialize in their field which has enabled them to become experts in their respective medical specialties.

2)Lower Cost Treatments.
People can generally expect to save at least 50% when receiving care in India as compared to that in developed countries like the US or UK, and in India, some treatments can be provided for little as 10% of the cost that it would be available for the hospitals in the West. The vast savings, which include all the travel expenses like airfares, hotel, and food, of receiving treatment in India can provide the patient life-changing or life-saving treatment that may otherwise never have afforded.

3) Getting a medical visa is comparatively easy.
With the introduction of the relatively new “M” visa, In India, getting visas for medical purposes has become easier than ever. Not only that, but the visas are given out in a rather short period of time which can play a huge role in saving patients' lives. The government of India has created a visa expedition program that ensures that people who need critical, life-saving treatment get their visas in a timely manner, hence priority is given to the patients with the most life-threatening conditions.

4) Surgeries are performed almost immediately.
Compared to the Western nations where people sometimes have to wait weeks or months for vital and life-saving treatments, the wait times for such procedures in India are usually non-existent which helps the patients avoid further complications and health problems in the future that could be caused by waiting longer in their homeland.

5) Other therapies like Ayurveda.
Many hospitals in India are now beginning to offer natural treatments like Ayurveda, Naturopathy, and Yoga to aid in post-retreatment recovery for many patients. These are fabulous techniques which originated in India itself and oftentimes have a positive impact on the patient.

6) Perfect opportunities for travelers.
Coming to India allows the patients and their families tourists visit exotic destinations located nearby during the treatment or once the treatment is over. Great sightseeing and opportunities to go see parts of India while experiencing Indian culture that you may never otherwise get to experience is the best part of a medical tourist trip to India.

7) World-class services and care.
In spite of being in a “developing” nation, hospitals and healthcare centers in India provide premium and western-standardized care to their patients. Couple this with cheap cost and immediate surgeries, India becomes a hub for patients seeking treatments from all parts of the world.

What are the other unconventional means of treatment offered by the hospitals in India?

In addition to Ayurveda and other forms of traditional medicines, India offers many more relaxing, renewing treatments from Yoga, Meditation, and Allopathic & Naturopathic medicines.

Why medical tourism in India is better than its neighbors and other developing nations?

Medical Tourism is a fast-growing industry as patients from all around the world continue to shuttle between several countries for healthcare reasons. Medical tourism in India has and will continue to raise competition and keep domestic providers in check of their pricing and is still allowing already strained systems the opportunity to become more efficient and affordable. Various countries like Thailand and Malaysia are promoting medical tourism aggressively, but they key competitive advantages that India has over them in medical tourism stem from the low-cost services and procedures, strong reputation in the advanced healthcare segment, and the diversity of tourist destinations available in the country. Provided the government promotes medical tourism and allows concessions, India has the potential to become the global hub.

Do hospitals accept health insurance in India?

Yes, hospitals in India do accept health insurances. So in case, you have health insurance that is internationally valid or is valid in India then please alert the concerned hospital about it; usually, If it is an approved insurance provider, the hospitals in India might request you to get an advance payment guarantee which you will have to usually co-ordinate from your home country.

What are the essential documents that are needed to make a medical trip to India?

The first things that you need to make your medical trip to India are your documents holding your Medical History, Records, Test reports, X-rays, Identity Proof such as Driver’s license, Passport copies, and Passport size photos (keep 15-20 photos in hand for various purposes). You are also required to have details of your health insurance, if any, along with your passport, which must be valid for a minimum of 180 days, with at least two blank pages. You also need relevant letters signed and stamped from the hospital concerned in India, and in case of hospitalization or long term treatment, you are required to present proof of financial resources such as Bank statement for last six months and Solvency Certificate from the bank.

Which is the medical capital of India?

Chennai has been termed India's health capital as the healthcare in Chennai is provided by both government-run and private hospitals, attracting about 45 percent of health tourists from abroad arriving in the country and 30 to 40 percent of health tourists arriving from within the country.

Which cities are best for medical treatment in India?

The top five medical tourism destinations in India for better treatment are as follow:

1. Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Chennai is the most popular destination for medical treatment in India, and nearly, 40% of India’s medical tourists arrive in Chennai for medical treatment. Several reports have shown that Chennai receives up to two hundred foreign patients daily due to its high-quality medical treatment, low cost, and best experience.

2. Mumbai, Maharashtra

Other than being the financial capital of India, Mumbai is also among the fastest growing medical hubs in India. The city has some world-class private hospitals and medical centers.

Mumbai is also a popular healthcare hub for domestic patients from other cities of Maharashtra as well as other states. The city has the best hospitals for all medical treatment such as dentistry, pregnancy, orthopedic treatment, cosmetic surgery, weight loss and so on.

3. Goa

Besides vacation destination of India, Goa is growing to become an international hub of medical tourism. Nowadays, private hospitals provide special facilities to foreign patients. The natural environment of Goa is exquisite which also attracts foreign patients to select Goa besides other destinations.

4. New Delhi

New Delhi is the national capital of India, and besides political activities, New Delhi also has a vast number of world-class, private hospitals, providing medical packages such as Neuro Surgery, General Surgery, Heart Care/Heart Surgery, Eye/Opthalmology etc.

5. Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad, once known as the ‘Manchester of India’, is now another fastest growing medical hub of India. Thanks to the top hospitals in the city, lots of Non-Residents Indians prefer Ahmedabad for their medical treatment.